Something was not sitting right for James Villes. In 2017, after working on a new recording project for about a year and a half, the hip-hop artist and Jackson native, whom fans know as Alexander FRE$CO, says the music just did not seem to flow right to him.

"When I was coming up with the project, which I was supposed to drop last year, I listened to it a couple times, and I was like, 'This is not working. It's up and down, up and down,'" Villes, 26, says.

He already had about 17 completed songs at the time, some that fell into the more straightforward rap arena and some that highlighted more R&B elements, including his singing vocals.

While Villes felt confident in all the songs, he says that he wanted all of them to have a cohesive feel, both as a collection of recordings and as material for live shows.

"As far as me working on performance sets, I can't be all turned up at the beginning and then slow at the end," he says. "I didn't want it to feel like a rollercoaster. I wanted everybody to be on the same vibe, but I most definitely had to separate some things to make it flow."

That separation ultimately resulted in his latest release, "Neon Nights," an R&B-influenced hip-hop project that he put out on Jan. 26. Villes says that he designed "Neon Nights," which features producers Santalus Beats, The Cratez, J-Louis, Pyrmdplaza, Ric & Thadeus and MJ Nichols, for fans to simply press play and let it ride from start to finish. The music also contains a meta-narrative telling the story of a relationship.

The decision to split the project into separate releases also provided Villes, who began seriously pursuing his music career in 2015, with an opportunity to start fresh, rebrand himself and broaden his creative output as an artist.

Before releasing "Neon Nights," Villes removed his previous releases and music videos as Alexander FRE$CO from online for a clean slate. Going forward, he says that he also plans on alternating between rap and R&B releases while gaining feedback to inform what comes next.

"It's really going to depend on the people, how they react it and what they want to hear," he says, "because at the same time, I'm still performing in different places, so it's whatever people want to hear or whatever the mood calls for. ... I'm not one to try to limit myself because it can be a show over here where they're like, 'Hey, they don't do rappers.' Well, guess what? I also do R&B."

While Villes chose to focus on a new, more atmospheric sound for "Neon Nights," fans will not have to wait long to hear a return to his rap roots.

While preparing for this release, he continued perfecting the unreleased hip-hop songs and writing new material. Knowing that his next rap project is already finished took off some of the pressure off of taking greater risks stylistically on "Neon Nights," he says.

"I just put it all as part of the plan because (a rap project) is going to come soon," he says. "I'm not even worried about it. If this is what's going to go for now, I'm going to have those in the stash. They're going to always be ready so I ain't got to be like, 'Well, I've still got to record this, and I've still got to record that.' It's like, 'No, it's already ready to go!'"

Alexander FRE$CO's "Neon Nights" is available now on iTunes, Spotify and SoundCloud. For more information or to purchase a physical copy of the release, visit alexanderfresco.com.

Many fans were shocked when Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent, husband-and-wife folk-rock duo Shovels & Rope, announced their second cover album, "Busted Jukebox, Vol. 2," just a week before its release on Dec. 8, 2017.

The timeline, not the record itself, was the surprising point, of course. The musicians marked their first collection of covers as "Vol. 1" back in 2015, assuring future installments for fans and for themselves.

"Once we put that on the cover, we knew we basically had to make Volume 2," Hearst says. "We knew that these records would give us the opportunity to experiment in a recording studio and experiment with friends and people we admire, in kind of like a musical companionship situation outside of the Shovels & Rope restrictions."

On "Vol. 2," listeners will hear Shovels & Rope take on songs from acts such as Sigur Ros, Concrete Blonde, The Clash and The Hollies, while also collaborating with artists such as Brandi Carlile, Hayes Carll, Rhett Miller and John Fullbright. Rather than performing modern hits or well-worn classics, Hearst says that she and Trent focused on recording songs that hold special meaning to them.

They set out to bring all the songs to life in new and interesting ways, so it won't matter if listeners already know the originals, she says. In the case of the opening track, "Cleanup Hitter," many people likely won't be familiar with the song, as it was a co-write between Trent and Bill Carson, a friend and fellow South Carolina singer-songwriter.

"He's a teacher in Charleston, he's one of our favorite musicians, he's an arranger, he organizes some of the coolest musical events that have ever happened in Charleston, but he's not a famous songwriter," Hearst says. "He's not a rock star, has no interest in that, but to get (Brandi Carlile)'s voice sharing his song—it's such a cool thing to be able to do that."

The cover series serves as both a way to keep putting out material between Shovels & Rope records and as a boundary-pushing creative exercise, Trent says. He and Hearst released their fourth studio album, "Little Seeds," in October 2016, applying some of the recording techniques from "Broken Jukebox, Vol. 1," but more importantly, its experimental attitude.

"I feel like on 'Little Seeds,' we just learned how to take some risks," he says. "We might have offended a cowboy by having too much feedback and fuzz guitar, and we may have a offended a rock-and-roller by having too much mandolin. You can't win them all, but we're doing the best we can, and we're making stuff the way that we want to make it."

Making music however they want to has always been part of the band's makeup. As Trent, Hearst and now their young daughter, Louisiana Jean, are on the road for most of the year, Shovels & Rope has always recorded in a home studio or in various locations while on tour, from hotel rooms to university basements.

"It's funny now: We're settled," Hearst says. "We're actually going to be (making) a record in our new, outside-of-our-home recording studio. All the microphones are going to probably, like, stay where they are for the whole time we're recording, and we're going to be able to make it at our leisure because nobody's got a clock where they're counting."

"But we won't ever be here so we'll probably end up recording on the road, anyway," Trent says with a laugh.

That was rapper D'Andre Jones' first thought after doctors diagnosed him with a rare muscle disease called idiopathic inflammatory myopathy about five years ago. They warned him that, eventually, complete paralysis and respiratory failure would be in his future. On the opposite side, Jones says he was grateful to finally know what it was.

"For a year, they couldn't tell me anything," he says. "By the time I found out what I had, I was 123 pounds. I had lost like 60 pounds of body mass, and I couldn't stand up on my own or any of that stuff. I went all this time not knowing anything, and my body went through all these changes, so I guess that I was happy. But at the same time, when you hear you're going to die, that's not the best news."

By that time, Jones says he had already put a hold on his career as Jackson hip-hop artist 808 tha BASS, as the disease got progressively more difficult to work around. It became more risky to try to go out and record or perform, he says. He would fall more easily, and when he did fall, he couldn't pick himself up.

"I really stopped going out," he says. "I stayed in the house all the time. That's all I did. After I got diagnosed and got on treatments, probably about a year later, the people around me that knew me and knew what I had been through but also knew I did the music, they actually pushed me to (record). I was like, 'I can't even stand up,' and they said, 'Well, pull a chair in there.'"

His music has always centered on his own life rather than bragging about things that he doesn't have, he says, so naturally, he began to write about the real-life hardships that he has faced through his disease, as well as the lessons that he has learned.

That music became the crux of his one-man show as 808 tha BASS, "My Story." Jones will perform the show, in which he tells his story through a blend of music, dialogue, interviews and other visuals, for the fifth time on Saturday, Feb. 3, at Russell C. Davis Planetarium.

While he didn't set out to be a voice for others in similar situations, he says that many people have reached out to tell him how much the music has meant to them.

"The whole reason I even started talking about my disease was because I was self-conscious and embarrassed about what I was dealing with," Jones says. "I felt like if I put it out there in front of everybody, then what can you say to hurt me? It just so happened that other people were inspired and felt like they could talk to me."

Something as vulnerable as "My Story" is a little out of the normal realm of hip-hop, and Jones says he still gets nervous about that, no matter how much work he puts into the show.

"But once I get on that stage, give me about a minute and a half, and it all starts rolling out," he says. "Even when I get to the vulnerable moments, I let them out because that's what's made people gravitate toward it. If I took that away, I guess people wouldn't vibe with me as much. So I give them the truth."

808 tha BASS performs "My Story" at 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 3, at Russell C. Davis Planetarium (201 E. Pascagoula St.). The lobby party begins at 6:30 p.m., and will feature music from Nina Linn and Maurice Gibson, as well as makeup art from Christine Cody. General admission is $15, and VIP admission is $25 at eventbrite.com.

UPDATE: Royal Thunder has cancelled its performance in Jackson due to illness. Backwoods Payback and Bad Magic will still be performing at CS's Restaurant.

Drummer Evan Diprima may provide a lot of the “thunder” of hard-rock band Royal Thunder, but he is actually the one of two later additions to the Atlanta four-piece. Guitarist Josh Weaver and vocalist Mlny Parsonz formed the earliest version of the outfit in the mid-2000s, bringing Diprima into the fold in 2012 and guitarist Will Fiore in 2015.

Diprima met his future band mates while playing with other rock groups around Atlanta and eventually stepped up to help when Royal Thunder needed a touring drummer to promote its debut full-length record “CVI” in summer 2012.

“Atlanta is just kind of this small community where all the musicians know each other or know of each other, and Josh just hit me up one day, asking basically if I could fill in for tour,” he says. “We got together, and then, within two weeks, I learned the set, we went out on the road, and then about half way through the tour, he asked me to join permanently.”

Both musically and personally, Diprima says that he clicked with the band instantly, but over time, it has also become a family.

“It’s not just business friendships,” he says. “We’re actually best friends, like brothers and sister.”

Fans got to hear what the whole family could create together with 2017’s “Wick,” Royal Thunder’s fourth studio release and its first to feature all four members. Diprima says their latest album continues the evolution of their sound from 2015’s “Crooked Doors,” his first recordings with the band, and is Royal Thunder’s most focused work to date. In part, that stems from the band coming into the studio with most of the song ideas for the album already in hand.

“A lot of ‘Crooked Doors’ was written during the time we were in the studio, whereas ‘Wick’ was, too, in certain parts, but for ‘Wick,’ we already had the basic ideas for every song,” he says. “Whether it was riffs or melodies, we had (the idea), and then we pretty much just trimmed the fat. We had a ‘less is more’ type thing. We didn’t really try to go out of our way in search of adding things to the songs. Once the songs felt right, we went with that. Even if the songs seemed shorter or longer, we were like, ‘Well, this seems good.’”

For Royal Thunder, the process of making an album often means planning out just a few songs and guitar riffs that they will jam on, but the studio is where they take the time to hash it out together and create the structure of songs.

“We’re in there only to work and write at that time, so we have to feel like we got all the work done,” he says.

Helping along with that process is the band’s “fifth member,” producer and engineer Joey Jones at Aria Recording Studio in Marietta, Ga. Diprima says that Jones has worked on all of the band’s recorded material thus far and has a firm grasp on the band’s sound even as it shifts between records, an important quality in an in-studio collaborator.

“You just have someone, at that point, who is like a member and one of your best friends, and he just knows the band and knows the music and understands it,” Diprima says. “If you go in with someone you’ve never worked with before, they may try to throw you some stuff that you’d never really want to do.”

Royal Thunder’s latest tour brings the band and its supporting act, Pennsylvania trio Backwoods Payback, to CS’s Restaurant (1359 N. West St.) this evening, Thursday, Jan. 25, at 8 p.m. The show will also include Jackson doom-rockers Bad Magic.

For more information, find the event on Facebook or visit Royal Thunder’s website.

Best Place to Drink Cheap; Best Open-Mic Night; Best Service-Industry Hangout: Fenian's Pub

(901 E. Fortification St., 601-948-0055, fenianspub.com)

Fenian's Pub is always a crowd favorite in many categories, but it has the longest history with three titles in particular. The bar has won Best Place to Drink Cheap for the past four years, Best Service-Industry Hangout for the past two years, and Best Open-Mic Night for a whopping eight years running.

Fenian's three titles this year often go hand in hand, as the bar is always open late and its long-running open-mic night provides something fun and free to do, whether you're just coming to kick back or participate. The bar offers 32 varieties of Irish whiskeys, along with plenty of beer and signature cocktail options. Fenian's kitchen also stays open until midnight Monday through Saturday and until 11 p.m. on Sundays, making it a go-to spot for folks who get off work late.

"People can come and always expect to have a good time," Ryan Cassell, Fenian's general manager and chef, says. "It's a place where people from around town can hang out and enjoy, and we do a happy-hour discount for (service-industry workers) if they come in anytime after 10 p.m." —ShaCamree Gowdy

Best Beer Selection (Restaurant); Best Place to Watch the Game: The Bulldog

(6111 Ridgewood Road, 601-978-3502, bulldog-jackson.draftfreak.com)

The Bulldog's general manager, Valerie Alexander, says the restaurant and bar valued variety in its beer taps and bottle options even before that was easy.

"We've been here since 2007 at The Bulldog with 62 taps, and back then, we didn't really have as big of a selection as we get now in the state," she says. "Now that we have the opportunity to get things that we've never been able to get before, our forte is rotating our taps and keeping new stuff in stock."

Along with Best Beer Selection (Restaurant), this is The Bulldog's first year to win Best Place to Watch the Game since 2013, but Alexander has an easy answer for why Jacksonians would choose the business for that category.

"Probably just because we have a ridiculous number of televisions," she says with a laugh.

The Bulldog has TVs throughout the bar and plays game audio through its main sound system, and the number of excited fans who come out for sporting events makes for a fun atmosphere, as Best of Jackson voters clearly know. —Micah Smith

After being a finalist in the past two Best of Jackson competitions, musician Chris Gill has taken the title of 2018's Best Blues Artist/Group.

The Birmingham, Ala., transplant has been playing blues music for about 30 years, and performs in the Jackson metro area as a solo artist, member of duo D'Mar & Gill, and as frontman for the Sole Shakers and the Mississippi Boogie Krewe. He and the latter group recently represented Mississippi in the 2018 International Blues Challenge, making it to the semifinals.

"I fell in love with the blues the first time I heard it," Gill says. "It moved something deep in my soul, and I knew playing the blues was what I'd do the rest of my life. I'm grateful that the people of Jackson voted for me. It feels good when the people at home say, 'Yeah.'" —Brinda Fuller Willis

Fondren Public, voters' choice for 2018's Best Bar, opened in September 2013 when a group of local investors decided to get together and create a place centered on the idea of community.

Brad Dreher, Fondren Public's general manager, says that beyond its staff, one of the best things about the bar is its atmosphere. The bar creates an environment where Jacksonians and young professionals from around the metro area can interact and socialize the old-fashioned way, he says.

"I think we're a fun place to hang out and get together with friends and have a good time," Dreher says. "Jackson has a ton of great bars, so we're honored to even be in this category. We appreciate everything Jackson has to offer, and it's great that others feel the same way (about Fondren Public)." —ShaCamree Gowdy

Walter Murphy III, whom fans know as DJ MMM or DJ T Money, has been spinning since the age of 15.

With more than 16 years of experience, he knows how to rock a crowd. He has toured with Lil Wayne, deejayed for major college sporting events and become a go-to deejay for the fraternities and sororities on college campuses across the country. This is his first year to win the Best Club DJ title in Best of Jackson.

Murphy often begins his events with a prayer giving thanks, which he says both puts him in the right frame of mind and gives him energy for the show ahead.

"I haven't worked a job in 15 years," he says. "... When you love what you do, it's a gift, not a job." —Shameka Hayes-Hamilton

Best Country Artist/Group is always a competitive category in Best of Jackson, and Jason Miller, vocalist for the Jason Miller Band, says he knows that well. Jacksonians selected the group, which has members in the metro area and around Mississippi, for a third consecutive year.

Miller says he credits the award in part to the band's love of interacting with fans and to the passion of his band mates, drummer Nathan Spears, multi-instrumentalist Topher Brown, bassist Anthony Daniels, and guitarists Jamie Bright and John Andy Bowen.

"I know how passionate each and every one of them are about what they do, and they do it well," Miller says. "I think that just bleeds out through our shows."

The band is currently touring regionally while working on music for an album, which he says they hope to record later this year. —Micah Smith

After three consecutive years as a finalist, local act Acoustic Crossroads received the most votes for 2018's Best Cover Band title.

Guitarist Sonny Brooks first formed the group as a duo in Leland, Miss., in 2008. He moved to Jackson in 2014 and has since built the band into a five-piece act, which now includes guitarist Rick Moreira, drummer David Cummings, saxophonist Kevin Lewis and bassist Eddie Ingram, all of whom also provide vocals. Singer Chris Link also sits in with the band on occasion.

Brooks says the band covers a variety of music from the '70s, '80s, '90s and beyond, with songs from The Eagles, America, Bob Seger, Peter Frampton and Prince, to name a few.

"I try to be very picky with the songs I choose and take people back in time for them to actually remember what they were doing, where they were at when they heard these songs, and touch people with them," Brooks says. —Micah Smith

It is a safe bet that no other winners in this year's Best of Jackson received a proclamation from the city of Murfreesboro, Tenn., in 2017, but that's the kind of recognition the Mississippi Mass Choir has brought to Jackson and to the state as a whole for three decades. This is the choir's third time in a row to win Best Gospel Artist/Group.

Frank Williams, a member of gospel act The Jackson Southernaires, first formed the group in the late 1980s while he worked for the gospel division of Malaco Records. Since then, the Mississippi Mass Choir has performed around the country and internationally on many occasions. The choir has also made numerous television appearances, including spots on ESPN's "SportsCenter" and ABC sitcom "black-ish" in 2017 alone. —Micah Smith

Best Singer is a difficult category to stand out in—triply so when you are in a band with three lead vocalists. This year, voters selected Zach Lovett of Jackson country band Young Valley for the award.

"That really kind of blew me off my feet," he says of his nomination. "I've never really thought of myself like a singer. I always thought that writing was more a strength of mine, ... so it was really humbling to be picked for that one. It's like if I was picked for Best Dancer."

Lovett says he hopes this means that listeners are connecting with the emotions of the music. Fans will hear him sing alongside brother Dylan Lovett and Spencer Thomas when Young Valley releases its self-titled album this April. —Micah Smith

It is no wonder that Jackson rapper Silas Stapleton, known to fans simply as Silas, has won the Best Hip-hop Artist or Group title for three years running.

His first time to win came in 2016 shortly after his single "Gullah Gullah Island" began earning national attention, and his next came a year later after fans were well acquainted with his album, "The Day I Died." It's not just his career that has flourished over the past few years, though.

"Hip-hop is in a better state than it has been in a long time," Stapleton says. "There are lots of good artists and good music being made. ... It's OK to be yourself—that's the message I try to deliver in my music."

On break from tour as of late December 2017, he is currently working on music for a follow-up album. —Shameka Hayes-Hamilton

Finalists: 5th Child (5thchildmusic.com) / Coke Bumaye

Best Jazz Artist/Group: The Vamps

(thevamps.com)

It is fitting that Jacksonians voted The Vamps as this year's Best Jazz Artist/Group, given that 2018 is also the ensemble's 20th anniversary. These days, the band, which includes guitarist Barry Leach, vocalist-percussionist Adib Sabir, drummer Denny Burkes, bassist-keyboardist Bob Piecyzk, trumpeter Terry Miller, and saxophone players Kevin Lewis and Todd Bobo, plays more private events than club shows. However, Burkes says that only makes it a more special experience when they do share the stage together.

"The Vamps have always been a really free and easy spirit," he says. "We've really only rehearsed together two or three times in the years we've been together, and when we get together, it's more like a party. The seven of us are friends seeing each other, and I think people pick up on that."

In addition to the band's annual Dec. 22 Duling Hall performance, The Vamps are hoping to schedule an anniversary show in February at Martin's Restaurant & Bar, the first venue to host the group 20 years ago. —Micah Smith

Not much has changed for singer-songwriter Jason Turner since he last took the Best Musician title in 2017. That's not to say things have been quiet for the acoustic rocker, who has maintained a busy slate of solo and full-band performances around the state.

In recent months, the Jason Turner Band, which also includes Dan Joyner on bass and Chris Crawford on drums, has been putting the finishing touches on a new EP. Turner plans to release it in early 2018 before moving on to his eighth full-length.

He says even being a finalist for the Best Musician category was a surprise—one that he chalks it up in part to name recognition after performing in the Jackson area for nearly 20 years.

"What I've learned is that we have as much talent as anywhere else," he says. "... I think the only thing we're lacking is that we need more support from people, and even the bands supporting each other would be great." —Micah Smith

This year's winner for Best Karaoke DJ is also one of the longest-running names in the field. Angela Pittman, who also won the title in 2017, has been hosting karaoke events for about 25 years.

"I love music, and I've been in music my whole life, but karaoke is about letting someone else have the opportunity to shine for a moment," she says. "The singers I have, they feel like they're on 'American Idol' or something when they're on there, you know? It's special to them, so it's special to me."

Jacksonians have voted Duling Hall as the city's Best Live Music Venue for a fourth consecutive year, but that legacy is not the only reason for its winning streak.

In 2017, Arden Barnett and his team at Ardenland continued to bring in international touring acts, including Dawes, Robert Earl Keen, Cindy Wilson and Pokey LaFarge, while also providing a space for special events from Mississippi artists, such as Ben Ford and Sam Mooney. However, the venue also expanded on its offerings, with more variety in the types of entertainment.

Jackson residents were able to see hip-hop artists Curren$y and Isaiah Rashad, indie-pop bands The JAG and Rainbow Kitten Surprise, reggae group The Wailers and a cappella act Street Corner Symphony, among many others, all at the same venue. Not bad for an old schoolhouse. —Micah Smith

(Ole Tavern on George Street, 416 George St., 601-960-2700, oletavern.com)

Courtney Boykin, this year's winner for Sexiest Female Bartender, says that she has always liked the idea of bartending. Before starting at Ole Tavern on George Street six years ago, she bartended at restaurants such as Logan's Roadhouse and Mugshots Grill & Bar in Flowood.

While she doesn't have a particular favorite drink to make, Boykin says she likes when customers tell her what they normally drink and trust her to make something that they will enjoy.

A vital part of bartending for her is to treat first-time customers like she has known them for a long time, Boykin says, so that even new faces can feel like regulars.

"Always try to make a new friend every day," she says. "... And there are always, always, always opportunities to learn." —Amber Helsel

In Best of Jackson, it is rare to see someone win without having been a finalist for the past few years, but that is exactly what happened with 2018's Best R&B Artist/Group, Mike Rob and the 601 Band.

Since forming in 2009, the group has performed classic and contemporary R&B hits all around the region. Today, the lineup includes vocalists Mike Robinson and Tiffiany Haywood, drummer Frank White, bassist Sky Chambers, keyboardist and background vocalist Kevin Culver, guitarist Jeremy McCoy, saxophonist Bobby Conner, and trumpeter Richard Beverly.

Robinson says that being mentioned among Jackson's R&B greats is humbling.

"Me and the 601 go out and do what we do week after week, and the applause is there after we finish, but it's good to know that the music touches the people after they leave the club," he says. —Brinda Fuller Willis

The Green Room is the closest thing to a true dynasty that you'll find in Best of Jackson. The last time that the pool hall lost the award for Best Place to Play Pool was way back in 2005 when W.C. Don's took the title. Even then, it got its share of appreciation.

In that year's Best of Jackson issue, the late, great JFP Events Editor Herman Snell wrote, "The Green Room, second-best place to shoot pool, is more of an upscale locale that hosts tournaments. If you're interested in going pro as a pool-shooter, then the Green Room is the place to start around here."

More than a decade later, that sentiment still rings true. In addition to being a popular local spot for bar food, the Green Room is a favorite haunt of serious pool players looking to up their game. —Micah Smith

Shucker's Oyster Bar in Ridgeland tends to be a fixture in several Best of Jackson categories each year but none more frequently than Best Place to Dance. Voters have given that title to the restaurant and bar for the third year in a row.

One of the reasons that Shucker's is a perpetual competitor for the award is that its multiple stages offer different types of live music in the same space, often in a single evening.

Most nights of the week, it is a safe bet for getting your dance on, whether you want to head-bang to big, boisterous rock acts such as Hairicane or Spank the Monkey, or slow dance on the deck to acoustic tunes from artists such as Chad Perry or Josh Journeay. —Micah Smith

The members of rock act Stonewalls have been performing in Jackson since around 2014, but guitarist Zac Clarke says he attributes their first win for Best Rock Artist/Group in part to their fun atmosphere onstage and their work over the last year.

Clarke says that he, vocalist Matthew Simonton, keyboardist John David Harrison, drummer Mitchell Phillips and bassist J.W. Herring played more shows than ever in 2017, slowing down recently to work on new music. They plan to record a follow-up to their 2016 EP, "Change the Subject," in spring of this year.

"We're kind of getting a little more alternative, I'd like to say," Clarke says. "I'm not going to say we're getting away from the blues-iness because that's always going to be a part of it, but we're definitely heading in a little more of a hard-rock kind of direction." —Micah Smith

Better Than Ezra fans will hear plenty of hit songs when the band's frontman, Kevin Griffin, performs solo on Jan. 19 in Jackson. However, not all of those familiar tunes come courtesy of the New Orleans, La., alternative-rock act.

Griffin has had a string of successful songs through Better Than Ezra since forming the group in Baton Rouge, La., in 1988, including "Good," "King of New Orleans," "In the Blood" and "Desperately Wanting." What some listeners may not know is that he has also co-written hits for well-known artists such as Sugarland, James Blunt, Howie Day and Daniel Powter.

The Jackson Free Press recently spoke with Griffin over the phone about his latest tour and what goes on behind the scenes in songwriting.

With Better Than Ezra still touring, what inspired you to also get on the road doing solo shows?

I guess maybe two years (ago)—Ezra's still touring a lot, and we do our summer tours—I wanted a forum where I could not only do Ezra songs, but I could also play the songs I get to write with other artists in just a less formal setting. There were suddenly a lot of rooms around the country, like City Winery in Chicago, ... that were embracing that kind of (show). You know, they're about 350- to 500-seat rooms, and I thought, "Wow, that sounds really cool."

I started off just playing acoustic, and I kind of wanted to challenge myself to get back to doing that, maybe the purity of that. I like talking (to audiences) a lot and maybe taking left turns, so that's really just a creative outlet.

What can people expect to hear that they wouldn't hear at a BTE show?

Well, they hear songs that (are) hits I've had with other artists, from Howie Day songs or Taylor Swift or James Blunt, and just different artists like that—my versions of these songs. Usually, if it's a female artist, it's an octave lower. [Laughs] And (there are) just covers. I like doing things that wouldn't be expected.

When I do these shows, they're still very, I guess, up-tempo. I love artists like Ray LaMontagne and Damien Rice, but I'm not that guy. When I do these shows, I have an amazing percussionist with me, so it's a very upbeat, fun show. I may do a left turn into a Justin Timberlake song out of a Better Than Ezra song or a solo song I'm working on. So there are lot of stories, anecdotes, covers, songs I've written for other people, and you know, hopefully the songs we know and love by Better Than Ezra.

What kind of response do you usually get when playing a song that some fans don't know you wrote or co-wrote?

I love that because, let's say a song like "Collide," which is still getting tons of radio play, I'll tell the story about writing it, I'll play it, and then after the show, invariably, someone will come up to me and go, "Man, I love that cover you did of Howie Day." They still won't realize I wrote it, and that's really funny.

But it's cool to see, for the most part, the awareness or realization that, "Oh wow, you wrote this? Let me hear how you interpret it." I love seeing that look on people's faces. Then, you know, there are always songs that maybe I—"give" is a strong word—but have another artist do, and they're mostly co-writes, rather than myself or Better Than Ezra. So you always have (the question), "If 'Collide' had been a Better Than Ezra song, would it have taken Better Than Ezra's career to a whole other level?"

So when I get to do these songs solo, I get to have that satisfaction of playing it live and hearing people sing along. ... So it's a two-way street: People enjoy hearing the hits that they didn't know I'm a part of, and I get to kind of have that vicarious thrill you get when you play a song people know.

The thrill never goes away. From the first time I heard my song on the radio and the first time I heard people singing it live, I still have that today.

How do you approach songwriting differently working with another artist compared to writing for Better Than Ezra or yourself?

What I'll do is I'll have a write with an artist, like I have some songs on the new Phillip Phillips record, and I won't finish the song. I'll say, "OK, this is a cool chorus idea and sounds like something I can hear Phillip singing," so I'll just get the chorus together. That's usually enough to see if the artist likes it. With Better Than Ezra, I'll have the whole song done, and then the band will arrange it with me. We'll figure out dynamics. With a co-write, there's no point in me finishing the whole song, because if they don't like the chorus, they'll say, "What else do you have?"

And also, you want to give the artist something to work on and (work) off of. That's when the song really becomes great. When it's good, the artist is a good writer, and they're engaged and come up with some great verse, or they make the chorus even better. You just come up with what you think is the hook, play it for them, and they go, "Oh, I dig that, but let's change this chord here." So it's kind of more a piecemeal thing when you're working with other artists.

When you do have an idea that you think is perfect for an artist, what do you do when they don't respond well to it?

You know what? You just move on. It's so often, and that's just kind of the thing with songwriting. I never get bummed out about it anymore because, as a writer, you tend to think everything you do is great. "Oh, this is a great chorus." Then, you realize, "Well, sometimes, that's not the case." Some songs you write, people dig, and other songs, for whatever reason, people aren't feeling.

Then, there are those writers who everything they write (is a hit), whether it's Paul McCartney or f*cking Pharrell (Williams) or whoever is great. But most of us, we hit some out of the park, and others are just foul balls.

So when I sing a song idea, you quickly move on because the worst thing you can do is keep trying to make them feel it. Either they feel it, or they don't. ... Part of the craft of songwriting is remembering your ideas. So then, I'll work with another artist, and I've had songs that have been turned down that I've then played for other artists, and they love (the ideas). They ended up recording them. You keep the songs that you say, "I know this is f*cking good." You know those songs, and it's with a heavy heart that you finally will let one go when you're like, "Man, I've played this for three people. I'm on a train built for one."

What can fans be looking forward to from you after this tour?

Better Than Ezra is doing a nationwide summer tour. Us and Barenaked Ladies will be playing. We're not playing Jackson, but we'll be playing Greek Theatre, Red Rocks and all these great amphitheaters, so check that out. That would be a fun trip this summer to take. I'll have a solo record coming out in the fall, and I'll be playing a few new solo songs at the show at Hal & Mal's.

Then, I've also started (Pilgrimage Music Festival), and we'll have our fourth year this September 22 and 23, a Saturday and Sunday. Last year, our headliners were Justin Timberlake, Eddie Vedder, Ryan Adams, The Avett Brothers and many others. ... It's become one of the hottest festivals in the country in four short years. I'll be playing it solo—Ezra usually does it—but it's the third week of September in Franklin, Tennessee, and it's brilliant.

Marty Willson-Piper sat in a booth at the back of Steve’s Deli in downtown Jackson, lifting a finger to trace a line between the records on the wall.

He owns many of them, which is not all that surprising. As the founder of the In Deep Music Archive, he has collected more than 40,000 entries in different formats, including vinyl, laser disc, cassette and reel-to-reel tape.

“The thing about it is I really have no problem listening to the Carpenters, followed by Black Sabbath, followed by, you know, FKA Twigs,” he says. “I just have always liked the idea of eclecticism in music.”

That passion for variety in music has permeated Willson-Piper’s own career as a performer and artist. Many people will remember him as the guitarist for Australian rock band The Church in the 1980s and English alternative group All About Eve throughout the 1990s. However, plenty of his fans have latched on not to his past successes but his current creative streak.

Today, Willson-Piper splits his time between five projects. In addition to duo shows with his wife and violinist, Olivia Willson-Piper, he is an active with Swedish progressive-rock act Anekdoten; Noctorum, a collaboration with friend of 50 years, Andy “Dare” Mason; and a collaboration with Swedish songwriter Niko Röhlcke called MOAT. He also records with husband-and-wife duo Atlantium.

He is currently in the process of working on a fourth album with Noctorum and the second MOAT album, both of which are scheduled for release in October of this year.

“The glue is the eclecticism,” he says of the different projects. “I don’t want to jump straight into The Beatles, but jumping straight into The Beatles, I love all of them—all their songs, all their voices, all their styles, all their albums, all their eclecticism, all the silly stuff, all the dark stuff. The eclecticism of it is the appeal.”

Whether it is a spiritual connection to the lyrics, the rhythm or even the look of the artist, the point is to have the music move you in some form or fashion, he says. That is something that he also tries to pass on to others. When not on tour, Willson-Piper teaches music lessons online. Rather than focusing on music theory, scales or cover tunes, he tries to help his students develop their love of creating music.

“When I first do a lot of these sessions, when I start getting involved with people, the first thing I say is, ‘Well, we have to have a Skype session to figure out how I can help,’” he says. “Usually, at the end of that session, I say, ‘And by the way, before we start, I want you to go away, and I want you to listen to Al Green’s greatest hits,’ because that’s where it’s at.”

It doesn’t matter whether someone thinks the lyrics are overly romantic or sentimental for their tastes, he says. It is about taking a moment to recognize just how powerful music is and what it can achieve.

“You write a song, and there’s nothing happening. There’s nothing in the room. The room is empty. There’s furniture, there’s a breathing creature called a human, and there’s an instrument there, which has got strings and wood,” Willson-Piper says. “You pick it up, and you can write something. Then, in a year, when it has been recorded and released, it can be 20 million people’s favorite emotional mood-enhancing creation. People can be crying because of it. That’s amazing. It didn’t even exist, and it can drive people to ecstasy and bliss!”

What brought Willson-Piper and his wife to Jackson on a Friday afternoon was not a show at a big local venue, a music lesson or a record excursion, but rather an intimate performance in honor of a friend and former student’s birthday.

William Buras, a former Jackson resident now living in Houston, first met Willson-Piper while studying at the University of London. He learned that the singer-songwriter, who was based in northern England, did lessons and asked if they could arrange them in person. Despite being six hours away, Buras began taking lessons with Willson-Piper, and when his 50th birthday was approaching, Buras made plans to bring his teacher to the U.S. for shows in Houston and Jackson.

Willson-Piper and his wife will perform tomorrow, Jan. 13, for a sold-out crowd at Steve’s Deli, with all of the proceeds going toward the In Deep Music Archive. For more information, visit martywillson-piper.com.

In November 2015, Brad "Kamikaze" Franklin gathered many of his comrades in the local music scene to discuss how to further the city's creative arts. With festivals such as South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, and the A3C festivals in Atlanta, Ga., operating in the region, Franklin says he began asking himself, "Why don't we have a premier festival for artists? These organizers in Austin and Atlanta aren't any smarter than us. Why can't this be done in Jackson?"

Now, in its third year, the week-long Jackson Indie Music Week festival is held across Jackson in various venues. It features showcases, industry panels, award shows and other events, and as transitioned into a staple for many in the community.

Jackson natives Franklin Garrad Lee, and Thabi Moyo, along with Detroit native Donyale Walls, have been the driving forces behind the event since its inception. Lee, Franklin and Walls are returning for what they call JIM Week 2018, which takes place from Jan. 7 through Jan. 14 and features more than 50 performers.

"The first year, I'll never forget the feeling of seeing so many people at Lucky Town (Brewing Company) for the kick-off party," Lee says. "I knew that first night that we were providing something that people wanted, and that the city was going to show love."

Lee and Cody Cox, founders of record labels Elegant Trainwreck and Homework Town, devised one of the centerpieces of JIM Week by expanding on their multi-genre concert series, "The Blender." This year, "The Blender" is Wednesday, Jan. 10, at Hal & Mal's, Martin's Restaurant & Bar and One Block East.

A number of events are returning in 2018, including educational panels "Do the Knowledge" and "Many Moons," which features women in the entertainment industry sharing their experiences. JIM Week organizers are also expanding its repertoire and support system.

The festival has added sponsors such as radio station Y101 and Guitar Center to the roster, as well as new participating venues, including Spacecamp, CS's Restaurant, Underground 119, the Kundi Compound, The Flamingo and Podastery Studios, to name a few.

This year will also be the first to feature a gospel brunch on Sunday, Jan. 14, at The Iron Horse Grill and "The Beat Sale" at Offbeat on Saturday, Jan. 13, where beat producers will show off their latest work for audiences and artists looking to buy new backing tracks.

"I want slow, steady, consistent growth—not the 'popular' growth that comes with having big names or flavor-of-the-month type of events," Franklin says. "We wanted to grow this using (the city's) talent first and get folks used to seeing us before we took that next step. ... Platforms like SXSW are becoming more corporate, and the true indie artist has gotten frozen out. That's where JIM Week comes in."

Franklin says that he also hopes the festival will continue to be an economic driver for the city of Jackson, bringing guests that spend time and money at local venues, hotels, restaurants and retailers. And as for what's coming next, he already has a few ideas.

"Bigger events, newer events, bigger sponsors, and hopefully, bigger names in the indie music scene that we can bring in," Franklin says.

Jackson Indie Music Week is Jan. 7-14 throughout Jackson. Single-day passes are $25 each, and all-event passes are $50. For a schedule of events, visit jxnindiemusic.com.

At age 20, Florida native Ben Sparaco has already amassed a highlight reel longer than many that of many older guitarists and songwriters. Since launching his solo career in 2015, he has shared the stage with members of established acts such as Mumford & Sons, Dead & Company, and the North Mississippi Allstars.

Sparaco grew up in a family lacking in musicians but filled with music fans, and says that at an early age, he became fascinated with the '60s and '70s music his parents would play, including The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd. At 4 years old, Sparaco began taking guitar lessons. By age 11, he was sitting in with various blues and cover bands around southeastern Florida, and by age 15, he began writing his own music.

"I think part of it's just the natural evolution of being any sort of artist," he says. "You kind of want to do something that is your own, just to feel like you're making something fresh. As fun as it is to play other people's music, there's a point where it can get tiring because you've heard it all before."

During that time, Sparaco says he began studying other styles of guitar playing, including gospel, R&B, American and European folk, bluegrass and jazz, elements of which still appear in his music today. He also started focusing on the craft of songwriting, from the lyrical content to the way artists construct songs.

"That's kind of when I was like, 'I should probably start giving this a shot.' It wasn't good for a while. I'm still not sure if it's good to be honest," he says with a laugh. "But I think it was kind of a combination of boredom and expanding my musical horizons at the time."

He continued writing original music even after joining Crazy Fingers, a popular Grateful Dead tribute band in southern Florida, in early 2015. At that point, Sparaco says a career as a solo artist was still somewhere in the back of his mind, but through touring and playing with Crazy Fingers, he began finding his voice and learning to play onstage with a unit.

"It made me really hungry to lead my own band and kind of do my own thing," he says.

In August 2015, just a day before he moved to Nashville, Tenn., Sparaco formed a backing band and launched his solo career. Since then, he has played more than 100 shows and released two recording projects, an EP titled "Bring the Jubilee" in spring 2016 and his debut full-length album, "Wooden," in January 2017.

However, Sparaco says that Jacksonians can anticipate a wide variety of sounds when he and his new touring band, The New Effect, come the capital city on Dec. 29. Whereas "Wooden" featured a seven-piece bluegrass-rock band, the latest iteration that he has been touring with over the past year is a four-piece soul-rock group.

The change to a smaller, more permanent lineup has been a positive one, though, he says. Fans can hear the first fruits of that on Sparaco's latest single, "There Is No Them," which he released on Dec. 6, and later on his sophomore album in March 2018.

"We've really started to work out some new songs on the road, and everybody's voice can be heard a little bit more on these new songs because we've actually lived with them for a while," he says. "So we're really excited to get in the studio and make a record ... instead of me writing the songs, handing them to session players and hitting 'record' right away."

Ben Sparaco and the New Effect perform at 10 p.m., Friday, Dec. 29, at Martin's Restaurant & Bar (214 S. State St.). Doors open at 9 p.m. For more information, visit bensparaco.com.

Hal & Mal's (200 S. Commerce St.) will host the 20th-annual Krystal Ball and the ninth-annual catfish drop on New Year's Eve. The event features live music, Krystal's sliders, party favors, hors d'oeuvres, Champagne at midnight and more. The event is 21 and up. For more information, call 601-948-0888 or visit halandmals.com.

Noon Year's Eve

The Mississippi Children's Museum (2145 Museum Blvd., 601-981-5469) will host its annual Noon Year's Eve event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Dec. 30. During the event, children can build their own confetti cannon, make a party hat, dance and watch the museum's rocket full of wishes launch during the countdown at noon. The event is included with regular admission to the museum, which will be open until 5 p.m. that day. Admission is $10, and members and children under 1 get in free. For more information, visit mschildrensmuseum.org.

NYE Celebration

On Sunday, Dec. 31, The Apothecary at Brent's Drugs (655 Duling Ave., 601-366-3427) will host a New Year's Eve event with guest chef David Crews from Delta Supper Club. The event will have a five-course menu including a happy hour and drink pairings from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Seating is limited for that menu. Beginning at 9 p.m., Crews will have a "Late Night Delta Truck Stop Food" menu with cocktails. For more information, find The Apothecary on Facebook.

New Year's Eve Celebracion

In celebration of the new year, Cantina Laredo (200 District Blvd.) will have a special three-course menu available from Dec. 29-Jan. 1. The menu includes ribeye with cascabel sauce (a type of chile-based sauce); pollo asado, which is roasted chicken with grilled street corn and black beans; and fajitas de camparon y pina, which is bacon-wrapped shrimp filled with Monterey Jack cheese and jalapeno with grilled pineapple. On Dec. 31, Cantina Laredo will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, call 601-982-7061.

New Year's Eve with Hilton and Drago's

Hilton Jackson (1001 E. County Line Road) will have a couples' New Year's Eve package starting at $299 per couple that includes overnight accommodations, dinner at Drago's, live music from Sassy Jones, a Champagne toast at midnight, a New Year's Day brunch at Wellington's in the Hilton and more. For more information, visit hilton.com.

New Year's at Pop's Saloon Featuring Nashville South

Pop's Saloon (2636 S. Gallatin St.) will host a New Year's Eve celebration featuring live music from country band Nashville South. The event is from 10:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. For more information, call 601-961-4747 or find Pop's Saloon or Nashville South on Facebook.

ISH New Year's Party

On Sunday, Dec. 31 ISH Grill & Bar's (5105 Interstate 55 N.) New Year's Eve party kicks off at 6 p.m. and features party favors and drink specials, along with a Champagne toast at midnight. Blues artist Jonte Mayon will perform beginning at 8 p.m. For more information, find ISH on Facebook.

New Year's Eve Blow Out

On Sunday, Dec. 31, Martin's Restaurant & Bar (214 S. State St.) will host a New Year's Eve celebration featuring live music from Young Valley, El Obo and Cody Rogers. Doors open at 9 p.m., and the event starts at 10 p.m. The event is for people ages 18 and up. For more information, call 601-354-9712, visit martinsbar39201.com or find Martin's on Facebook.

McB's New Year's Eve Party

On Sunday, Dec. 31, at 8 p.m., McB's Bar & Grill (815 Lake Harbour Drive, Ridgeland) will have a New Year's Eve event with live music from The Slangin' Willies, party favors and a Champagne toast at midnight. The event is free. For more information, call 601-956-8362.

On Sunday, Dec. 31, Estelle Wine Bar & Bistro (407 S. Congress St.) will host a special New Year's Eve dinner from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. featuring a five-course menu from Chef Matthew Kajdan that diners can order a la carte and pair with wine. For more information, visit westinjackson.com or find the event on Facebook.

On Sunday, Dec. 31, Northpark Mall (1200 E. County Line Road, Ridgeland) will host a New Year's Eve silent disco. During the event, participants will receive headphones and listen to DJ 5150 perform. The event will include confetti, balloons, party favors and more. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, find the event on Facebook.

New Year's Eve at Saltine

On Sunday, Dec. 31, Saltine Oyster Bar (622 Duling Ave., Suite 201) will have its full menu available, along with featured specials. On New Year's Day, Saltine will have its full brunch available, plus red beans and rice. For more information, find the business on Facebook.

New Year's Eve Grand Celebration

On Sunday, Dec. 31, Cowboy's Saloon (208 W. Capitol St., 601-944-0402) will host a New Year's Eve party featuring Terry and the Zydeco Bad Boys. The doors open at 7 p.m., and the show begins at 9 p.m. The cover charge is $10, and Cowboy's Saloon will have bottomless domestic drafts and $1.50 domestic bottles. For more information, find the event on Facebook.

New Year's Celebration

On Saturday, Dec. 30, and Sunday, Dec. 31, Farmer's Table in Livingston (1030 Market St., Flora) will host a New Year's Eve celebration. The dinner includes Champagne and a dinner that will feature caviar, seared foie gras a l'orange, scallops over lobster risotto, creme brulee and more. For more information, call 601-506-6821 or visit farmerstableinlivingston.com.

New Year's Eve Dinner

On Sunday, Dec. 31, BRAVO! Italian Restaurant & Bar (4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 244, 601-982-8111) will have a five-course menu with wine pairings for each course. The event begins at 6:30 p.m., and will have a Champagne toast and sparklers starting at 9 p.m. Seatings earlier in the night are $70, and later seatings are $85. For more information, visit bravobuzz.com.

NYE 2018 at Johnny T's

On Sunday, Dec. 31, Johnny T's Bistro & Blues (538 N. Farish St.) will have a New Year's Eve party. Everyone gets in free until 11 p.m., and the event includes a midnight Champagne toast. For VIP and bottle service information, call 601-201-0658. For more information, find the business on Facebook.

NYE 2018 at Fenian's Pub

On Sunday, Dec. 31, Fenian's Pub (901 E. Fortification St., 601-948-0055) will have a New Year's Eve party. The event will have a Guinness toast at 7 p.m., and a Champagne toast at midnight. It will have music from The Grand Shillelaghs, and party favors and drink specials. For more information, find the business on Facebook.

This is not a complete list. To see and add more, visit jfp.ms/2017nyeevents. Visit jfpevents.com to see our events calendar.

There is never a shortage of music in Mississippi, with countless concerts, showcases and open mics taking place around the state on a daily basis. Since the live music scene slows down a bit over the holiday season, we put together a list featuring new music that Mississippi artists have released over the past few months. Here are 40 new albums, EPs and singles to check out in the New Year.

The Mississippi Chorus will perform the first movement of 18th-century composer George Frideric Handel's seminal oratorio, "Messiah," again this year, following two sold-out performances in 2016. However, the upcoming holiday concert will mark more than one significant milestone for the Mississippi Chorus and for the music itself.

Artistic Director Mark Nabholz, who is in his second year with the chorus, says that "Messiah" is unusual piece in that when most music premieres, it is either a big hit that later declines in popularity or a less-popular piece that gains appreciation over the years.

"'Messiah' is different in that it was a huge hit when it first premiered in Ireland—in fact, this is the 275th anniversary of its premier—and it has never gone out of popularity," he says. "It was popular at the very beginning, and it's been popular ever since. It's been performed all around the world every year for 275 years."

Nabholz, who also serves as the director of choral activities for Mississippi College, says he attributes that to Handel's genius, the uplifting music and the words in the piece. Fortunately for the monolingual among us, "Messiah" is entirely in English, and Nabholz says that even those who are unfamiliar with classical music will recognize tunes within the program.

"They're almost ubiquitous in our culture around Christmastime," he says. "Whether you're shopping or riding in your car and turn on the radio, you're going to hear portions of it. ... We're just dealing with the portion having to do with the birth (of Jesus), and really, it's the most popular portion because it's done so often at Christmastime, and it concludes with the big Hallelujah chorus, which is known around the world."

The music holds a special place in the Mississippi Chorus' history, he says, as the first piece that it performed when it launched in 1989.

"It really is an old friend of that chorus, and they love to perform that work," he says. "They do it very well, so I think coming back to it this year—whether we will do it every year is still to be determined—it's great to come back around."

The concert has moved to a larger venue this year to accommodate more people and will feature the Grande Chorus, which combines all of the Mississippi Chorus' members, including the Master Chorale and the Mississippi Youth Chorale. The chorus has been preparing for the program since it completed "Love, Music, Memory: Sing Anything (Alzheimer's Stories)," a series of concerts benefitting Alzheimer's research, in October.

The program will also feature guest soloists Amy Pfrimmer, a soprano from New Orleans; alto Viola Dacus, who is the assistant professor of music at Mississippi College; tenor Jos Milton, a music professor at the University of Mississippi; and bass Patton Rice, the director of vocal music for the Mississippi School for the Arts.

"It really is just a great thing to hear that many voices singing together in harmony," Nabholz says. "I think choral singing is a great community activity, and that's one of the reasons that we exist: to bring the community together around great music."

The Mississippi Chorus performs Handel's "Messiah" at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 16, at Woodland Hills Baptist Church (3327 Old Canton Road). Tickets are $25 for adults, $5 for students, and free for ages 12 and under. For more information, visit mschorus.org.

When Pam Confer writes songs, she says the lyrics just come to her, and she starts singing them.

So one evening in spring 2016, Confer was walking her dog, Jazzie, when she began singing, "Who are we?"

She says that as she was walking and singing that line, she thought that she did not know if we as Mississippians know who we are. "I don't know if we know why we are here, and I don't know if we know the gifts that we actually have," she says.

"Mississippi has a such a rich and complicated history, and I know that's an understatement, but that's just the most even way to describe it. I think, historically, the people here have tried every approach to understanding each other, to seeking justice, to getting justice, to defining what justice is, defining what equality is, and I don't know if we've taken time to ask ourselves, 'Who are we?' We say, 'This isn't right,' and 'We should stop this,' and 'I didn't do that,' and 'Yes, you did,' but really, we can't get away from us. We're all in Mississippi, so we can't escape."

A couple of days after she wrote the song, which she called, "Mississippi Beautiful," she sang it for James Meredith and his wife, Judy, at the opening of the "James Meredith: Am I or Am I Not a Citizen?" exhibit at the Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center in summer 2016. "I sang it maybe one other time at a performance, just to play with it, but I hadn't gotten anything solidly down," she says.

With the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and Museum of Mississippi History opening and the state's bicentennial approaching, she says she knew she wanted to dedicate it to the historic change that she felt was coming.

"I was telling a few people about it, and I knew that the museums were being constructed, but I didn't know what was going in all the galleries or the verbage or anything," she says. "... I promise you, just sheer destiny, is I was telling Pam Junior, the director over there, about the song, and the consultant who was doing the very final gallery that's called, 'Where Do We Go From Here?' ... I'm talking about the words to this song I've written, and they're like, '(Those are similar to) the words that (are) in the gallery!'"

She says the first line of the song—"What do you stand for?"—was also in the gallery. After discovering the similarities between her song and the gallery, she went into the studio and got the song done enough so Junior and the consultant could hear the emotion behind it.

"I really didn't think anything else about it except for the fact that it would be great if it would match with this gallery," Confer says.

Junior contacted her on Friday, Nov. 17, and asked her to come by and see the gallery. "Then I heard my song, so we all kind of started crying," Confer says. "It was like a cry fest. The consultant was crying, Pam was crying, I was crying ... those big soap-opera types of cries. ... (The song) just fits perfectly there. It does belong there, and I really hope that it helps to send that message when people leave, that you're not leaving to get in your car and do the same thing you did when you arrived."

Confer says that with the state's bicentennial and the museums' opening, we have an opportunity to participate in our own destiny.

"It's an opportunity to turn the page," she says. "If you've ever needed an excuse, like, 'I don't want to be a bigot anymore, but I don't really know how to get out of it,' 'I don't want to be a racist anymore,' 'I don't want to castigate people because they have different opinions, but I don't know how to get out of it.' Well, there's a birthday coming up, and we are the gift to each other. ... We are the change we're looking for."

She says that to truly redefine who we are, the current generation and past generations, especially people who were alive during the Civil Rights Movement, must come together to build and boost up Mississippi.

"We can redefine who we are, why we're here, what our legacy is, what really should we tell our children now. Not in the '60s, but what do you tell your children right now?" she says. "What's their legacy? And we all have a role to play in that."

Confer's song, "Mississippi Beautiful," will play in the "Where Do We Go From Here?" gallery at the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. Brandon Mitchell and Marcus Singleton produced the song. The opening of the civil-rights museum (222 North St., Suite 2205) and the Museum of Mississippi History (222 North St., Suite 1206) open on Saturday, Dec. 9, from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit mdah.ms.gov. Confer will sing the song and sign copies of the CD at the Renaissance at Colony Park (1000 Highland Colony Pkwy.) from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 10.

For Larry Brewer, writing songs isn't a "some of the time" endeavor. He has been a professional musician for more than 40 years, most notably as the frontman for rock act The Windows in the 1980s and then as a solo artist in the Jackson-metro music scene after the group disbanded in 1995. That experience doesn't mean there's an exact science, though.

"Songwriting is a really strange thing for me," Brewer says. "I really don't know where a lot of these songs come from. As you may know, they just kind of happen. Like, I was asked the other day, 'How do you do it? What's your process?' and a lot of times, I find that I'll come up with the first two lines fairly easy, and I'll go, 'Man, those are some pretty good lines.' Then, there's a momentary panic of, 'Well, now I've got to fill up the page.' But they always come!"

Often, he says that his albums are less about writing for a release and more about collecting the songs that accumulate. Such is the case with his upcoming fifth solo record, "Shine," an album that took about three years to make and brought Brewer to five studios around the Jackson metro area and beyond.

The first step toward "Shine" began when he recorded the song "In This Room" with Drew McKercher at the now-closed Morningbell Records. At the time, Brewer only planned to record one song, so when Richard Wray Willis asked him to produce his album, "Love Letters," he shifted his focus to that project for about eight months.

"Shine" picked up steam again Brewer's friend and fellow musician, Hunter Gibson, asked him about tracking to test some new equipment at his home studio.

"One day, he said, 'Hey Larry, I'd like to experiment on you,' which was kind of a cool thing," Brewer says with a laugh. "I had this one ukulele song, ('Wishing'), and I thought, 'Well, give it a try.' ... So we did 'Wishing,' and it turned out so well that we did another one, and then another one, and then another one."

The pair ultimately worked together on six songs from "Shine," including the title track. The album also features the songs "Drink Up" and "Politics America," which Brewer tracked with Randy Everett at Terminal Recording Studios, now called GRAND Recording Studios, and finished with Kent Bruce at Malaco Studios.

After their success on those songs, Brewer recorded another, titled "Let Me Down," at Malaco.

Another thing that makes "Shine" stand out from Brewer's other releases is that it features his brother and former The Windows bandmate, Allen Brewer, on drums, as well as Kevin Synan, who played bass for The Windows. Since both players are based in Tennessee, Brewer decided to record the song "Second Time Around" at Highland House Studio in Jackson, Tenn., before finishing it at Gibson's studio.

While it took more time and more stops than he expected, Brewer says "Shine" is one of his favorite albums thus far. Often, he says, by the time someone writes, records and finally listens to an album, they're ready to move on to the next project.

"But this album, I find myself listening to it still," he says. "I like it, and there are songs on there that surprise me that I wrote them. ... I don't know if I'm just growing in my songwriting, maturing or whatever you want to call it, but I like it."

Larry Brewer performs with Doug Hurd for the "Shine" release party at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 6, at Kathryn's Steakhouse (6800 Old Canton Road, Suite 108, Ridgeland). The album is available Dec. 7 on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, CD Baby and most digital retailers. Visit larrybrewer.biz.

The South meets the North for the latest installment of the Mississippi Jazz Foundation's annual "Night of Musical Artistry," an evening of jazz beats and sultry vocals at Duling Hall on Dec. 1. Radio personality and comedian Rita Brent will host the event, which features music from Avery*Sunshine along with Mike Burton and the Good Times Brass Band.

Ann Burton, who is the president of the Mississippi Jazz Foundation and mother of Mike, says that the 14th annual event is both a celebration for jazz lovers in Jackson and beyond, and a way to support the music form in Mississippi.

"I'm aware that jazz is not the music that the world associates with our state, but the Mississippi Jazz Foundation puts the spotlight on jazz with two of the hottest young giants in the field of jazz," she says. "Avery*Sunshine has worldwide acclaim, having worked with the likes of Tyler Perry, Anthony Hamilton and renowned jazzman Roy Ayers, and Michael Burton has made a name for himself, also working with Tyler Perry early on and now has his solo career that has proven to be stellar for a kid from Mississippi."

Sunshine is a Chester, Penn.-native soul and R&B singer-songwriter whose given name is Denise Nicole White. She began playing piano at age 8 and gave her first recital at 13. She later attended Spelman College in Atlanta, graduating with a bachelor's degree in philosophy in 1998, although she also studied piano during college, as well. White adopted the stage name Avery*Sunshine in the early 2000s and released her debut self-titled album in 2010. In April of this year, she released her third album, "Twenty Sixty Four," which peaked at No. 17 on Billboard's Independent Albums chart.

Mike Burton grew up in Jackson and attended the Power Academic & Performing Arts Complex, also known as Power APAC. Today, he lives in Atlanta and is an accomplished jazz, R&B and soul saxophonist who has worked with internationally known artists such as Mary J. Blige, PJ Morton, Jill Scott, Anita Baker, Lecrae and Patti LaBelle. He released his latest album, "Say What?", via Monarch Records in July.

Ann Burton says: "The Night of Musical Artistry is a diverse, family-friendly event, and I expect to see many of our repeat, seasoned fans in the audience. Our goal is to highlight young local jazz-music practitioners who are preserving the genre, paired with historical figures who are the forerunners of the music in the field (who) have state, national and international prominence."

This year, honorees include vocalist Lisa Palmer; Jessie Primer III, a musician and educator at Tougaloo College; musician and retired educator Louis "Jivin'" Jones; music producer and songwriter Stan Jones, who is the co-owner and president of GRAND Recording Studios and Clout Music Group; musician Tevin McGuire, who competed on "America's Got Talent;" and Andrea Montgomery, the dean of humanities at Tougaloo College.

"Night of Musical Artistry" is at 7 p.m., Friday, Dec. 1, at Duling Hall (622 Duling Ave.). Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $40 at ticketmaster.com or call 800-745-3000. For more information, find the Mississippi Jazz Foundation on Facebook.

Fans may recognize Raheem Jarbo, also known Mega Ran, as a prolific writer of "nerdcore" rap, blending the worlds of hip-hop with video games and other forms of entertainment. However, that combination wasn't always an obvious choice for the Phoenix, Ariz., musician.

Jarbo grew up in the 1990s in Philadelphia, Penn., a city with a rich hip-hop past and present that inspired a deep appreciation for rap music in him from a young age.

He says: "I feel like I was around for what a lot of people think of as maybe the second Golden Age of hip-hop or the Silver Age of the late '80s, where Wu-Tang Clan and A Tribe Called Quest, and we had so many other greats popping up at the same time. Just being a part of that made me want to sit around and write rap."

In the late '90s, he began to do just that, and after showing his lyrics to friends, they told him that what he wrote was good and they felt like he was onto something special.

"I thought they were just fooling me, but it turned out that it was something that I really wanted to pursue," Jarbo says. "I really loved it. I loved the creativity that it brought out of me."

In 2000, he began rapping under the stage name Random, taken from the Marvel Comics character of the same name who first appeared in the series "X-Factor."

"He was a shape-shifter," Jarbo says. "He would change shapes, and I thought, 'Man, that's what I want to do in music. I want to be able to shape-shift, jump all over the place."

At the same time, he was getting more active with his second passion: video games. Jarbo says that he would regularly spend all day playing games such as "Super Mario Bros.," "Final Fantasy," "The Legend of Zelda" and "Mega Man," and spend his evenings writing and listening to rap.

"That was definitely something where both things were a part of me forever, but I never thought to put them together," he says. "I don't know. I thought it was kind of taboo. But I'd make a reference here or there—a 'Street Fighter' reference in a rap song or whatever."

Listeners often understood the references, Jarbo says. He began to see that hip-hop culture and video-game culture weren't as separate as he thought, which inspired him to keep melding his two interests. Several years later, those worlds came even closer when he began making beats through a game called "MTV Music Generator" on the original PlayStation system.

"I was using game hardware and software to make beats, but still hadn't put it together, rapping about games," he says. "But then, I learned how to sample, and when I would sample, I'd go into sampling from video-game soundtracks. I would make beats that sampled (sounds and music) from 'Final Fantasy,' 'Resident Evil,' 'Zelda, 'Mega Man,' and that's what gave me the impetus to work on music that would reflect video-game culture. Most importantly, my friends still liked it. No one said it was dumb or whack, so that's what encouraged me."

Jarbo continued to perform and release music as Random through the 2000s, but one major change came in 2007 when he released his second album, "Mega Ran," which centered on the popular Capcom character Mega Man. Once the album began gaining popularity, people began to conflate the album title with his stage name.

"I feel like the good nicknames, the good titles, are given and not made up, you know? I realized that fans would refer to me as Mega Ran, and so I was having a hard time with it, like, 'No, I'm Random. So it's Mega Ran A.K.A. Random.' And it just got really confusing," he says with a laugh. "So I just kind of gave up on that and eventually became Mega Ran."

During that time, he says that he was enjoying pursuing music at night and on weekends, but continued to hold a day job as a music teacher in Phoenix, where he moved in late 2006. Then, in 2011, he released a "Final Fantasy VII"-themed album titled "Black Materia" that brought him new level of success.

"One day, I looked up, and it was on the iTunes hip-hop charts, and it was next to guys like Kanye West and guys like Lil Wayne and Jay-Z," he says. "I was like, 'Wow. None of these guys have day jobs. Maybe I need to try this.' So I did. We just took a try. I stepped away from my job later that year to pursue a full-time career in music.

"It just came to a point where I was getting a lot of gigs, a lot of bookings, and more and more, people were asking me to play shows, and I was teaching, so I had to say no. I was like, 'Wow, with all these things I keep turning down, maybe this is what I'm supposed to be doing.'"

Since making the transition to pursuing music full time, Jarbo has continued touring the country and releasing new music that takes inspiration from a variety of sources both nerdy and not. In 2017, alone, he put out singles "Church" and "Slow Down;" Notorious B.I.G. tribute "Notorious Ran: Ready to Live;" the WrestleMania-inspired "Mat Mania: The Revenge;" "Strangers," and an EP based on Netflix phenomenon "Stranger Things."

His biggest release for this year, though, is a full-length record titled "Extra Credit," which he released on Sept. 1. His tour in support of the album will bring him to Offbeat (151 Wesley Ave.) on Saturday, Nov. 25, at 8 p.m. Admission is $10 per person, and the show also features performances from Kadesh Flow, Alfred Banks, Ray Kincaid and DonChe.

The formation of indie-rock bands is a pretty common occurrence on any college campus, but things were a little different for Baton Rouge, La., quintet Particle Devotion. Most of its members met while studying at the Louisiana State University School of Music, and all are classically trained.

Brian Bell, the band's vocalist and primary songwriter, is a Tampa, Fla., native who began the project after graduating from LSU in 2012, creating a collection of demos that combined his passion for indie-rock and classical composition. Ten of those songs became Particle Devotion's 2015 self-titled album.

"It really happened very naturally," he says. "Even though we all ended up studying music, this (indie-rock) songwriting and bands, that kind of music, had always been a huge thing in my life. I think I always thought of that life as really separate from the neo-classical, avant-garde, conservatory thing."

Bell says that during college, he saw those two worlds weren't as separate as they seemed. He learned about acts such as Baltimore-based composer Dan Deacon and the quartet So Percussion, which initially formed at the Yale School of Music, that blend elements of modern and classical music.

"I started realizing that there was this whole crossover space between people who were classically trained and playing classical music, but were also doing essentially like bands," he says. "And I mean, my whole perception of genre and aesthetic, it's all just a free-for-all now, in my opinion. I don't see music that rigidly anymore."

In the early days, Particle Devotion mostly had a rotating lineup with Bell at the center and a few core members. Over the past year and a half, though, the permanent lineup has taken shape, with lead guitarist and backup vocalist Ryan Erwin, who engineered the band's debut album, drummer Isaac Johnston, bassist Nate Mackowiak and synthesizer-player Clyde Bates completing the roster.

The lineup hasn't been the only major change for Particle Devotion in recent years, though. Bell says that even before the group had completed its first album, he began writing material for a sophomore release that would take the sound in new directions. After two years of writing and fine-tuning those songs, Particle Devotion entered Baton Rouge Music Studios in May 2017 to begin recording its follow-up album, "Millennial Trash," which comes out in January 2018 through Earthship Records and Old Flame Records.

The band released a music video for the first single, "Sarah Tried," through New Noise Magazine on Nov. 9.

Bell says: "I would say whereas the self-titled album had this blossoming, orchestral kind of lushness to it, with this album, while we still had in mind that we wanted to make a very dynamic and diverse record, it has a lot more of this garage-rock, indie-rock, anthemic (sound with) big, distorted-electric guitars and climactic moments. It's a lot more of a rock record than the first one was."

The musicians learned a lot from producing the first album, and listeners will be able to hear the difference in the production value on "Millennial Trash," he says.

"It's a really dark, heavy, brooding record that we really got swept away in for years," Bell says. "I mean, for the past two years, we've been in this space, and I think the ethic really comes through."

As much as Particle Devotion has changed since its formation, an even bigger shift is around the corner. The musicians are currently preparing to relocate from Baton Rouge to Philadelphia, Penn., by the end of the year. Although Baton Rouge has been a welcoming and supportive community for the band to grow, Bell says the members feel that a larger home base with more resources will help further Particle Devotion's reach.

"The South and Louisiana and Baton Rouge, in particular, while it is a great place to view art in an open, casual and appreciated way, it just does not have to offer what other places have to offer—opportunity in terms of growth for the project," Bell says. "I think that we feel like a city like Philadelphia is a move we're ready for, in terms of stepping up our voice in the national discourse."

It's a huge leap for the musicians, and they regularly discuss what the future should look like for Particle Devotion, he says. At the same time, the band mates know how to communicate with each other and all agree on what is best for the unit as a whole.

"We're a family, man," Bell says. "All of us either have lived together or live together currently. We spend months on the road together every year. I mean, it's not even anything that crosses our minds. It's like, 'Yeah. Obviously, this family unit will continue to function as a unit, continue to be something that encourages its members.'"

]]>Micah SmithFri, 17 Nov 2017 12:36:47 -0600http://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2017/nov/17/particle-devotion/Love for the Rebel and the Sainthttp://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2017/nov/15/love-rebel-and-saint/

Kirk Franklin will be a familiar name to many people who grew up in church in the 1990s, but it's a name that is still picking up steam today.

Since his arrival in the gospel scene, the Fort Worth, Texas, native has become a New York Times best-selling author and a 12-time Grammy Award winner, the most recent being 2017's Best Gospel Album for his 12th record, "Losing My Religion," and Best Gospel Performance/Song for Tamela Mann's "God Provides," which Franklin co-wrote.

However, he also received plenty of attention this year outside of the gospel realm for his appearance on Kanye West's song "Ultralight Beam" alongside Chance the Rapper, The-Dream and Kelly Price.

Franklin is currently on the road for the 27-date "The Rebel, the Soul & the Saint Tour," which pairs him with Grammy-nominated R&B artist Ledisi, who released her eighth studio album, "Let Love Rule," on Sept. 22.

The Jackson Free Press recently spoke with Franklin by phone to discuss the tour and the success of his most recent album.

Being from different genres, what gave you and Ledisi the idea to pair up for this tour?

Well, first, Ledisi and I have been friends for a very long time, and she had contacted me last year to write a song ("If You Don't Mind") for her last album, and that really got us even closer. Her management team had an idea about us going on tour together, and you know, the (gospel and R&B) communities know both of us, so we thought it would be a good way to share some love and hope together at the same time. We just thought it'd be a little different of an idea—something fresh to inspire people. Hopefully, we've done that, and hopefully, we're doing that.

What is something interesting that has come out of joining R&B and gospel in one concert?

More than anything, it's just kind of diversifying the genres. I think the communities are just used to seeing one thing, and I think that it's been very new and different for them to sing about the God they love and the man or woman they love at the same time that night.

So that's just a really different type of twist, to be able to love people and love God in one night, and to really be able to think about it that way and just be reminded. You know, it's really the same food on the same plate. We're just not used to the food touching. So we're not reinventing the food; we're just showing you that it can be on the same plate and showing you that it's really always been on the same plate.

For you, what is it about those genres that makes them fit together so well?

Well again, it's all similar. It's just the lyrical content. It's just what we talk about. But the music and the style—and you know that about black music—black music is so fluid, and it always has been. We talk about the black church birthing soul and R&B and blues and gospel. It really is the same river. It's always been the same river.

With Ledisi having more romantic lyrics, what has it been like for you to then move into a different headspace for worship material?

I haven't had to move at all! If she goes from a song talking about, "I love you," then I have a song that I've written from "God's Property" (Franklin's 1997 album) that goes, "Love, a word that comes and goes, but few people really know what it means to really love somebody." And if she goes from something like her song ("I Blame You"), then I can go to "I Smile." So it's been very fluid.

What kind of impact have you seen from your 2015 album, "Losing My Religion," since its release?

(I've seen) the ability to have conversations about how a lot of the systems that people have created in society for millennia have not always been to their benefit when it comes to seeing God as a father who loves them, seeing God as a creator who cares for creation. A lot of times, we've lived in fear of the systems, and the systems made us fearful and condemning.

We use that to try to control people's actions instead of allowing them to fall in love with the fact that they are loved and allowing that power to be source of transformation in the hearts of men and women.

So to be able to have that conversation, to push that conversation, and to really be amazed at how afraid people are of having that conversation has really been amazing.

What songs from that record have you been surprised to see people latch onto?

You know, I haven't really thought about it like that, but there's a song called "My World Needs You" that was very timely with all of the killings and issues and different things we've gone through over the last couple years. That song really seemed to connect with a core audience strongly.

What's something you learned from "Losing My Religion" that you want to apply to your next record?

You know, I really learned how difficult it is to open up our eyes, to be able to consider something different and new. A lot of people use their faith as a blanket, and it's not an area for them to grow; it's an area for them to be comfortable in.

It's my job—for some reason, it's always been my motivation—to kind of pull that away. I've been doing that from day one. It's what I've always wanted to do. I hope people begin to see God as this loving father instead of this list of rules.

Accordion-player Paul Brock has been a professional musician for the past decade, but his pursuit of traditional Irish music has spanned almost his entire life. As for how long that is, he replies with a chuckle, "Well, I'm over 21."

As a young child growing up in Athlone, a town in the Irish Midlands, Brock would often visit his uncle's shop, which sold radios, bicycles and musical instruments. On one trip to the shop, Brock noticed an accordion in the window and asked his uncle if he could look at it.

"He handed me this small accordion, and I started messing around and trying to play a pop tune of the era, which was called 'How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?'" Brock says with a laugh. "That's what got me started. Simple as that."

Soon, he got his own accordion after begging his father, who then connected him with family friend Frank Dolphin, who was a fiddle player from Sligo, Ireland. The veteran musician took Brock under his wing and taught him a repertoire of traditional Irish music, also introducing him to the works of great Irish-immigrant players in the United States.

Brock says: "We've been exporting musicians to America for a very, very long time, and America has played a very important role in the development of our music because the musicians who came out here got opportunity, they got employment, and their arrival coincided with the whole evolution of the entertainment industry (in the U.S.) and the recording industry in the late 1800s and early 1900s."

Teaching listeners about the strong cultural bonds between Ireland and the United States has since become an integral part of Brock's work because he is not only an entertainer but also an educator.

Through meeting Americans over the years, he says he learned that many also have a keen interest in the context and background of the music, so those elements have become part of his career.

Thus far, Brock he has performed and led workshops for more than 200 U.S. universities in more than 36 states.

"We do lots of music-appreciation classes, we do workshops where we teach students the repertoire style and technique of Irish music, and talk about it, and we do master classes for advanced students," Brock says.

One of the things that makes his current group, the Paul Brock Band, appealing to universities and to audiences, in general, is its range of instrumentation, he says. In addition to the button accordion, the group features fiddle, banjo, mandolin, guitar, an Irish drum called a bodhran, melodeon, dance and piano, providing a wide cross-section of Irish music culture.

The Paul Brock Band's current U.S. tour comes to Jackson on Friday, Nov. 10, as part of the Celtic Heritage Society's concert series. However, it won't be Brock's first time to visit the capital city, as his other project, the Brock McGuire Band, performed with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra in March 2014 for a concert benefitting the McCoy House for Sober Living.

"We're back for the first time since then—that's a couple years back. We have connections in Jackson, and we're really looking forward to going back there. ... Two contrasting things: one onstage with a full symphony orchestra, and this time, just four of us," he says with a laugh.

The Paul Brock Band performs at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 10, at the Fairview Inn (734 Fairview St.). The doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $20 per person or $15 for Celtic Heritage Society members at celticfestms.org. For more information, visit paulbrockband.com.

Tera Johnson-Collins, the paternal niece of blues icon Tommy Johnson, says that she has always felt a spiritual connection to her famous family member, who died on Nov. 1, 1956—three years to the day before her birth. It was a desire to uphold his musical legacy that led her to launch the inaugural Tommy Johnson Blues Festival in Crystal Springs, Miss., in 2005.

"Tommy Johnson never got the public notoriety as a country-blues pioneer, as others have, when he was alive," she says. "Therefore, I feel it's my duty and honor to keep his name in the forefront by putting on the festival and creating the Tommy Johnson Blues Foundation to educate blues lovers, and especially young people, about his profound impact and influence on the industry."

In 2015, Johnson-Collins moved the event to the Jackson Medical Mall to accommodate more fans who wanted to honor the late legend. The festival's 12th annual installment will take place Nov. 4, 2017, showcasing several rising stars and established names in modern blues music.

As a direct descendent, Johnson-Collins says it is important for her to ensure that people understand and appreciate her uncle's place in the history of blues music, and the festival is one way to do that.

"I feel I am the voice of Tommy Johnson," she says. "I want future generations of the Johnson family and the world to know of his contributions to country blues."

Johnson was born in Terry, Miss., in 1896 and grew up in Crystal Springs before running away to the Mississippi Delta to pursue music as a teenager. There, he began playing regularly with fellow blues legend Charley Patton. A few years later, Johnson returned to Crystal Springs and began touring throughout the South, expanding his impact far beyond his hometown. During that time, he collaborated with many early iconic bluesmen connected to Jackson, such as Rubin Lacy, Papa Charlie McCoy, Walter Vinson and Ishmon Bracey.

"Tommy's brothers, Mager, LeDell and Clarence, remained in Crystal Springs, using their musical talents on the side while working traditional jobs," Johnson-Collins says. Her father was Mager Johnson.

The Mississippi Development Authority paid tribute to Tommy Johnson with a Blues Trail Marker in Crystal Springs on Nov. 19, 2007. The marker details the musician's influence on several prominent artists including many from other genres, such as rock bands Led Zeppelin and Canned Heat, a group that got its name from Johnson's blues standard, "Canned Heat Blues," recorded in 1928.

His sound is still inspiring the musicians of today, including the performers for this year's Tommy Johnson Blues Festival, Eddie Cotton Jr., Lacee, Miss Ora and the S.O.S. Band, Raul Valinti and McKinney "Bluesman" Williams, who will perform several songs that Johnson made famous.

The event will also include door prizes, food, raffles and vendors selling blues memorabilia.

"We are expecting the citizens of Jackson and the surrounding areas, along with out-of-town guests, to come out and enjoy an evening that showcases the music that Tommy Johnson loved," his niece Johnson-Collins says.

The Tommy Johnson Blues Festival begins at 6 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 4, at the Jackson Medical Mall (350 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave.). Tickets are $20 at ticketmaster.com, and the doors open at 5 p.m. For more information, visit tommyjohnsonblues.com.